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Hard Core - High Ground Traditional Cache

Difficulty:
3.5 out of 5
Terrain:
4.5 out of 5

Size: Size:   small (small)

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Geocache Description:


Warning:

The terrain for this cache is very treacherous.  You will likely encounter a lot of marshlands, briars, smilax, ticks, poison ivy, poisonous snakes, and maybe even an alligator or two.  There are many downed trees in the area and large holes where stumps burned out during the fire.  In many areas the ground is extremely soft.  There were places where my feet sank several inches and my staff sank a couple of feet with very little pressure.  It is possible that you will come to an area where the ground appears solid, but there is a large burned out area underneath it that can cause a cave in under your weight.  During the wet season, you will likely have to wade through the marsh to get to the cache and you may sink to your knees muck.  Make sure you have a cell phone and a friend with you.  Enter this area at your own risk and do not take children after this cache!!!

 This is what you are getting yourself into.
Marsh at Sunset. (It is somewhere out there)

The Journey

Following my philosophy on Geocaching, the creation of this cache was more about the journey than the destination. 

I placed this cache about two months after the Gulf State Park fire of 2011.  Ever since the fire, I had been itching to get out in the burn area and see what there was to see.  As it turned out, there wasn’t much but ash.

Throughout my journey I saw thousands of green, blue, and blue/green dragonflies.  Many were flying solo and many where attached to each other, looking like the Chinook helicopter that the State used to fight the fire on this very ground.  In the wetter areas, I saw plenty of tracks from raccoons, coyotes, foxes and great blue herons.  I also saw two snowy egrets, a hawk, and a bunch of buzzards that started circling close anytime I stopped moving

Overall I really enjoyed this journey.  It was nice to get out in the middle of nowhere, where I could enjoy the silence of my own mind .

The Cache

This cache is located in the center of a long high ridge, which was likely once a tertiary dune.  I am not giving any hints on now to get to this one, but I will say that at least one way in is relatively dry and another way will take you through a very unforgiving marsh area.  The cache is a small lock-and-lock type container.  BYOP.


I came across this remains of this awesome old tree while hiding
the cache.  Its roots reminded me of some strange monster,
just waiting to reach out and grab me
.

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed all the geocaches we have placed in Gulf State Park, along with the rest of your experience here  Please consider giving us some feedback here.  We would appreciate it if you would include something about your geocaching experience.  We hope to show the bosses in Montgomery how many people geocache, in hopes that they will encourage other Parks to invest in it like we have, here at Gulf State Park.  Thanks, Dothenumbers.

P.S. Don't forget a Favorite's Point Please .


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Image by Rita Naugher


Epic Geocaching

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Ubj fubhyq lbh cenl (juvpu lbh fubhyq or qbvat vs lbh pbzr nsgre guvf pnpur)?

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)